Ashes: Vaughan calls MCG pitch a ‘joke’ after 26 wickets fall inside 98 overs during fourth Test

New Delhi, Dec 27 : Former England captain Michael Vaughan took a dig at the Melbourne Cricket Ground surface after wickets fell like ninepins and bowlers dominated the opening stages of the fourth Ashes Test against Australia.

A staggering 20 wickets fell on the opening day after England chose to bowl first, with Australia dismissed for 152. The visitors fared little better, collapsing to 110 in reply and conceding a 42-run deficit. The frenetic pace of the match continued into day two, as England skittled Australia for 132 in their second innings, leaving themselves a target of 175 to claim their first victory of the series.

The sheer volume of dismissals marked a rare moment in Australian cricket, with day one witnessing 20 wickets falling for the first time in 74 years in a Test played in the country.

Vaughan voiced his frustration on social media, writing on X, "This pitch is a joke .. This is selling the game short .. The players / Broadcasters and more importantly the fans .. 26 wickets in 98 overs !!!!! #Ashes."

He is not alone in his criticism. Former England batter Kevin Pietersen had earlier highlighted what he sees as a double standard, noting that pitches that attract spin-friendly conditions are often questioned, while seam-dominated surfaces escape similar scrutiny.

“India always gets hammered when wickets fall like crazy on day 1 of a Test and so I hope that Australia gets the same scrutiny! Fair is fair!” Pietersen wrote on X on Friday.

On the field, England aggressively surged toward the target. By tea on day two, they had reached 77/2 from just 12 overs, losing Ben Duckett and Brydon Carse, with Zak Crawley on 22 and Jacob Bethell unbeaten on nine.

Earlier, Australia’s second innings wrapped up shortly after lunch, with Travis Head’s 46 the lone resistance as Carse finished with figures of 4 for 34.